ARAMBURU de la Cruz, Dr. Don Manuel Vincente Historia Chronológica de la Santa Angélica, y Apostólica Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de la Ciudad de Zaragoza, y de los Progressos de Sus Reedificaciones. Zaragoza En la Imprenta del Rey Nuestro Señor
4to (28) ff, 415 pp. Bound in contemporary vellum, cover soiled, somewhat damaged, spine slightly torn, very little toning, some foxing throughout, two plates, one of a man praying before the shine of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, one a labeled ground-plan of the church, a good copy
Very rare and sole edition of this work documenting the history, architecture, and festivals of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar, the largest Baroque church in Spain. According to legend, in 40 A.D. the Virgin Mary appeared to the apostle St. James there atop a column. Since the first shrine was built in commemoration of this miracle, the church underwent a series of reconstructions and restorations, making this work valuable for its description of the basilica, as well as its cultural content.Aramburu recounts the architectural history of the church up to a major reconstruction in 1754. Originally a small pilgrimage site in the 1st century, the shrine eventually evolved into a Romanesque church. This building was razed by fire, rebuilt in the early 16th century in the gothic style, and again refurbished in the late 17th in the baroque style by Francisco Herrera Hidestrosa. In 1754, an elaborate chapel designed by influential 18th century Spanish architect Ventura Rodriguez was added onto the church, demonstrating the ever-growing grandeur of Nuestra Señora del Pilar’s reputation, as well as the importance of her cult. “In 1750, Rodríguez designed the holy chapel of the Virgin in Nuestra Señora del Pilar (begun in 1515), Saragossa, in a similar [Italian-influenced] Baroque style. It is a type of ciborium built in a Greek-cross plan and roofed by an elliptical dome with open fretwork and four smaller attatched domes. The dynamic, theatrical effect, similar to a stage set, has antecedents in the work of Juvarra, the Galli-Bibiena family and Bernardo Antonio Vittone” (D.A., XXVI. 519).Also detailed in the present work are the various religious festivals and celebrations devoted to Our Lady of the Pillar and other saints local to Zaragoza and Aragón. The plates that accompany the text depict the shrine of the pillar with an image of the Virgen Mary on top, as well as a ground-plan of the basilica. These illustrations, in addition to Aramburu’s descriptions make Historia Chronológica one of the most accurate physical records of the church at this time period.Very little is known about Aramburu de la Cruz. He published two known works on Christian festivals, as well as a number on Aragonese civil law.OCLC: Yale, Dayton.*Palau, vol. 1. 14,624;
$US3850
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